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Upcycling T-shirts is all the rage these day. One needn’t wander any farther than Pinterest, Craftsy, or just a good, old-fashioned Google search to stumble upon oodles of ideas: tank tops, boy shorts, purses, rugs. You name it; crafters have probably thought of a way to make it using repurposed t-shirts.

When repurposing garments, I typically like to take them completely apart and use the fabric, not too much of the stitching. That way, it’s like making something from scratch, which I feel better about. That’s not to say I haven’t cut off ugly sleeves, shortened hems, and revamped old dresses and other articles of clothing. That can be really fun and definitely makes great before and after shots, but my preference is really to design from the ground up.

Upcycling is a great way to get your feet wet in the sewing world. Whether you’re brand new to sewing and just want to get in some practice or you’re an experienced seamstress and are just looking for economical projects, it’s a fantastic option. And as my followers know, you don’t even need a machine to get started sewing clothes. I used my serger for this project, which made it super fast, but if you don’t have a machine, aren’t comfortable sewing knits yet, or if you just love the artistic goodness of the hand-stitched look, whip out your needle and thread and read a couple of my tutorials and posts on hand sewing knits to get started!

A Pattern (If you don’t have one, use a pair of leggings as a guide to make one. Just add seam allowance.)

One or multiple T-shirts

1/2 Inch elastic for the waistband

Thread

A sewing machine, serger, or hand sewing needle

Scissors

Step 1:Prepare or make the pattern. I used a pair of yoga pants to make this pattern.

Step 2:Cut out the fabric. I used a cool graphic tee and one with a contrasting color for the foldover waistband. Ideally, I would like these leggings to be a little longer since my daughters are so tall, but since this t-shirt is very soft and thin, I decided these would be for Spring/Summer wear anyway and they’d be fine as capris.

I kept the hem at the bottom for ease of sewing and because I don’t have a cover stitch machine that will do that type of hem yet. I like to avoid the zig-zag stitch for knits if I can. Another option for taller kids would be to use another t-shirt and extend the pattern. Just sew the extra piece to the bottom of the pant legs before sewing the pant.

Step 3: Cut the elastic. You can measure the waist of the pants you made the pattern from, follow the pattern package directions, or measure your child’s waist. I prefer the third method. That way, you get a wonderful fit the first time around.

Step 4:Sew the pants together. I don’t have step-by-step pics for the sewing portion, but if you’re a sewing newbie, feel free to ask questions in the comment section.

My favorite way to sew pants is to sew the inseam and outseam (this pattern only has one seam per leg, so I just folded each leg over and sewed that seam) and then turn one leg right side out and put it inside the leg that is right side in, so that the right sides of each leg are facing each other and sew the crotch seam, being careful to match the inseam up on both sides. (Click here for an easy tip on how to do that well.)

If there’s a waistband, sew it on with the elastic inside. If there’s no waistband, sew the elastic together at the ends and roll the top of the pants down over it to make a casing and sew, using a zig zag stitch or cover stitch.

For an example of an elastic casing, click on the picture below.

Do not sew the waistband or crotch with a straight stitch, because the threads will break as soon as the pants stretch! I wouldn’t recommend sewing the vertical seams with a straight stitch, either. With knits, your stitches must allow for stretch, or your kid may be looking at a pretty embarrassing day at school.

The Moral of the Story:

If you have more time than money, upcycling is a fabulous way to pursue a hobby and get in your sewing fix.

Also, make use of that zig-zag stitch, please! Friends don’t let friends rip their pants.

Sure, my husband was aware, but I was somehow oblivious. When I made the pattern, I left an extra two or three inches on the bottom and marked it “Very Long, Check for Fit.” Did I check for fit or show any kind of foresight at all? Well, that’s an easy one if you know me! What I didn’t anticipate was that with all that extra length, they would still be substantially too short for her when I had her try them on once I had finished all but the seam. (My kids are, apparently, half giraffe.) She loved them. She insisted on wearing them around the house for the rest of the day. But that unfinished hem.

The perfectionist side of me won out (she’s a tough cookie) and I decided they would absolutely need a hem, even if I just turned under an eighth of an inch. I sat down to do it and- BA BAM– as my daughter says, it came to me! The crinkly edge you get when you sew a knit with a tight zigzag stitch while stretching the crap out of it. (I managed to lengthen several of my pajama pants in high school using that method. Adding a cute little ruffle to the bottom of a 3 inch strip of differently colored fabric makes is juuust less-tacky-enough to make it work…for a teenager.)

I have virtually shunned such juvenile and unprofessional finishing techniques because of my uber-creative stint in high school. (Fringe, lace, corseting, you name it, sheesh!) But the finish does lend itself to children’s clothing, and I was all about bringing it back. A treatment that would not only keep the length in-tact, but make the very basic pants look fancier? H-Yes!

I proudly displayed them for her this morning. I thought they would be a great item to wear to her cousin’s birthday party. Poor girl. By her account, her mother had ruined her new pair of leggings by fancying them up.

Luckily for her, I have a black pair cut out, which she said she’ll wear “if they don’t have ruffles.”Luckily for me, she has a twin sister who has a true diva’s love of anything with ruffles and bows.

The moral of the story:Don’t make notes you don’t intend to keep. And have your kids in twos.